View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressSacramento's Isaiah Thomas experienced the challenge of trying to get a shot off against the Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson, who posted his first NBA double double with 15 points and 12 rebounds in Sunday night's win at The Q.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Before Sunday's game between the Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings, it was only natural to revisit the trade that sent power forward J.J. Hickson to Sacramento for small forward Omri Casspi and a much-protected first-round draft choice last summer.

Both players have had similar struggles this season, although Casspi had the edge on Sunday with six points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes, while Hickson went scoreless with four rebounds in 16 minutes.

Rookie power forward Tristan Thompson outplayed both, finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds -- one short of his career high in each category -- in the Cavs' 93-92 victory. It was his first NBA double double, and it came in a season-high 30-minute stint. He also tied his season bests with seven offensive boards and three blocked shots.

In his last two games, he's averaging 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots in 28 minutes, while shooting 58.8 percent. In his last four games, he's averaging 3.8 offensive rebounds and 7.3 total rebounds with 1.8 blocks and 7.8 points in 21.8 minutes per game.

Currently the leading rookie rebounder with 5.5 a game, it was this kind of potential that led the Cavs to select Thompson with the fourth pick in the draft and made it possible to move Hickson last summer. Although Thompson missed six games with a sprained left ankle earlier this month, he seems to be returning to form.

"Last night was one of his better games," coach Byron Scott said of Thompson after practice on Monday. "I thought the game against Miami [on Friday] you could see him starting to come back to where he was before he hurt the ankle. I still think he favors it just a little at times. But for the most part, especially last night, I thought he did a lot of good things for us, especially in the rebound department.

"He's just got to continue to be aggressive on that end of the floor. Offensively, he still has to understand where he needs to be at times, as far as our spacing is concerned. He's getting better. It's just a matter of repetition and getting him more comfortable."

There is, of course, that troublesome matter of free throws. Thompson made just 48 percent in his one season at Texas, and he's making 46 percent here -- 30 of 65. In his last five games, he has made 10-of-16, including 3-of-6 against Sacramento.

Asked about his free-throw shooting, Thompson smiled and said, "I feel good. Yesterday ... there were some good misses. You just go up to the line and shoot your shot. If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn't, it doesn't -- 50 percent chance."

Scott was asked what's a good miss for Thompson.

"A good miss for him is hitting the back of the rim," the coach said, laughing. "A bad miss is hitting the front of the rim. If it's short, it has no chance of going in."

Thompson maintains that he's confident when he steps to the line, and although he has played considerable fourth-quarter minutes recently, no team has intentionally sent him to the line. Yet.

"Once it gets to the two- or three-minute mark, I might be a little more concerned about it," Scott said with a smile.

The Cavs have worked with him extensively, and they have changed his routine, trying to get him not to dribble.

"I think the more you dribble the ball at the free-throw line the more you think," Scott said. "Just go up there, get it, do your little routine and shoot the ball so there's less thinking. He's done better."

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

Tipoff: Tuesday, 7 p.m., at The Q.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Notable: This will be the second of four meetings between the teams. Cavs won, 105-89, on Dec. 28 at Detroit. ... This is the seventh of the team-record nine straight home games. Cavs are 3-3 so far. ... Pistons are 11-22 overall, but 7-2 in their last nine with a three-game winning streak that includes two victories over Boston — at home and away.

Related stories

Scott also is working with him on what to do once he grabs an offensive rebound -- using the currently injured Anderson Varejao as an example.

"At times, especially early in the season, he was being surrounded by two or three guys and I told him 'most of the time when you're going back up, it's either getting blocked or stripped, so it's a wasted possession for us,'" Scott said. "I tried to tell him to be a little bit more like Andy. Andy gets a ton of 'em, but most of the time he just brings them back out unless he has a lay-up. I think he's done better at that, as far as understanding, 'If I just can't go right back up and dunk it, let's bring it out and value the ball a little bit more.'"

Scott is most comfortable when the rookie is on the box.

"But like I told him before when he's trying to back down these guys, most of these guys in this league that he's trying to back down are bigger and stronger," Scott said. "I love it when he catches it and he turns quick and goes quick, uses his speed. That's where we're trying to get him to.

"It's a work in progress. He's a very good student. He listens. He goes out there and tries to apply what you give him. So I think he'll be fine."

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.